tip of the spear - sofx · tip of the spear 2 tech. sgt. angelita lawrence staff...

T i p o f t h e S p e a r2

Tech. Sgt. Angelita Lawrence

Staff Writer/Photographer

Tech. Sgt. Heather Kelly


This is a U.S. Special Operations Command publication. Contents are notnecessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government,Department of Defense or USSOCOM. The content is edited, prepared andprovided by the USSOCOM Public Affairs Office, 7701 Tampa Point Blvd.,MacDill AFB, Fla., 33621, phone (813) 826-4600, DSN 299-4600. Anelectronic copy can be found at www.socom.mil. E-mail the editor viaunclassified network at [email protected]. The editor of the Tip ofthe Spear reserves the right to edit all copy presented for publication.

Army Col. Tom Davis

Special Operations

Communication Office Director

Mike Bottoms

Managing Editor

Gunnery Sgt. Reina Barnett

Staff NCOIC

Command Information

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jayson Price


Tip of the SpearTip of the Spear

(Cover) Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Lamb is the 2015 USSOCOM Bull Simons award recipient. The Bull SimonsAward is named in of honor Army Col. Arthur D. “Bull” Simons and is given for lifetime achievements in Special Operations.

Army Gen. Joseph VotelCommander, USSOCOM

CSM Bill ThetfordCommand Sergeant Major

C a r e e r S O F s e n i o r N C Oa w a r d e d t h e 2 0 1 5 B u l lS i m o n s A w a r d . . . 1 0

C a r e e r S O F s e n i o r N C Oa w a r d e d t h e 2 0 1 5 B u l lS i m o n s A w a r d . . . 1 0

Army Staff Sgt. Mark Shrewsberry


T i p o f t h e S p e a r

HighlightsHighlights

3

Exercise Eager Lion takesplace in Jordan ... 6

Navy Cross, Bronze Star with Valorawarded to MARSOC Marines ... 30

Combat controller awardedthe Air Force Cross .... 24

DepartmentsSOF Around the World

US, Chilean SOF train together ... 4

Eager Lion a complete success in Jordan ... 6

Special Feature

Retired Command Sgt. Major receives 2015 Bull

Simons Award ... 10

U.S. Army Special Operations Command

Ranger Regiment honors its heroes... 16

Plumlee awarded Silver Star ... 18

Night Stalker rescue earns Soldier’s Medal ... 19

Cultural Support Team women serve with distinction ... 20

Naval Special Warfare Command

NSW opens Unmanned Aircraft System school ... 22

Air Force Special Operations Command

Combat controller awarded Air Force Cross ... 24

Emerald Warrior ‘15 concludes ... 26

Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

Navy Cross, Bronze Star with Valor to MARSOC Marines ... 30

Mud, Sweat and Tears run ... 32

Headquarters

Healing Afghanistan: A Soldier’s story ... 34

Commando Hall of Honor inducts newest members ... 36

JSOU facilitates multi-national symposium ... 38

Fallen Heroes ... 39

Exercise Eager Lion takesplace in Jordan ... 6

Combat controller awardedthe Air Force Cross .... 24

Navy Cross, Bronze Star with Valorawarded to MARSOC Marines ... 30


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A Chilean special forces soldier fires a U.S. machine gun April 22, at a firing range in Camp Shelby, Miss., as part of a SpecialOperations Command South bilateral training exchange between U.S. and Chile Special Operations Forces. The exchange,carried out by Army National Guard units and Special Operations Detachment South, strengthens ties between the nations’forces. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite.

US, Chile Special Operations Forcescomplete training at Camp ShelbyStory and photos by Army Staff Sgt. Osvaldo EquiteSOCSOUTH Public Affairs

More than 100 Special Operations Forces

members from Chile and the U.S. concluded a 17-day

bilateral training exchange at the Joint Forces

Training Center at Camp Shelby, Miss.

Chilean SOF, Army National Guard Special Forces

soldiers and Force Recon Marines, participated in the

exchange April 15 – May 1. The event, organized by

Special Operations Command South, facilitated the

development of tactical and operational

interoperability between the forces to respond to

regional crises.

SOF members shared common tactics, techniques

and procedures, or TTPs, completing training in

pistol, rifle and sniper marksmanship, water survival,

combatives, close quarter combat, urban operations,

tactical field medical care and helocast and fast rope

operations.

“I was extremely impressed with the


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professionalism and the warrior mindset the Chileans

demonstrated,” said a U.S. Special Forces captain,

who for security reasons

spoke on the condition of

anonymity.

“In many ways, they are

very similar to us,” said the

captain, an Operational

Detachment-Alpha team

leader who worked daily with

his Chilean counterpart. “We

plan the same way and they

even conduct operations the

same way too.”

On many occasions,

Chilean and American

operatives were fully integrated into stacks, training

side-by-side at Camp Shelby’s Combined Arms

Collective Training Facility, a 35-building urban

terrain complex.

Aside from sharing many similarities, U.S. and

Chilean Marines proved that both SOF counterparts

learned from each other after observing how each of

the teams maneuvered and operated throughout the

exchange.

“When fast roping, they use a different lockout

technique than us,” said a U.S. Marine Corps team

leader. After seeing the Chileans use this technique,

the U.S. Marine team will

further evaluate the newly

learned technique and

possibly adopt it into their

standard TTPs.

The training exchange,

carried out by the guard and

Special Operations

Detachment South members,

gave the participants an

opportunity to build strong

and enduring partnerships.

“We had a very good

experience working with our

U.S. counterparts,” said a Chilean SOF soldier.

“While working together, we realized that a lot of our

problems are also their problems,” he explained,

referring to the mutual cooperation the countries share

in the region. “I hope to stay friends with those I met

here for a long time.”

To finalize the training exchange, SOF members

from both countries participated in a joint airborne

operation. Participants then traded airborne wings as a

sign of camaraderie and accomplishment.

We had a very good experienceworking with our U.S. counterparts.While working together, we realizedthat a lot of our problems are alsotheir problems ... I hope to stayfriends with those I met here for along time.

— Chilean SOF soldier

(Top) U.S. and Chilean Marines carry a log as part of a physicaltraining event April 22, at Camp Shelby, Miss., during a monthlong bilateral training exchange between the two partnernations.

(Left) Chilean and U.S. Marines practice firing drills April 23, ata firing range at Camp Shelby, Miss., during a bilateral trainingexchange organized by Special Operations Command South.Chile and U.S. Marines exchanged techniques, tactics andprocedures to foster operational interoperability betweenpartner nations to respond to regional crises.


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Eager Lion 2015 is a multinational exerciseheld in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordanduring the months of April and May. Morethan two dozen countries participated inthe combined exercise designed to test theinteroperability between militaries - bothconventional and unconventional forces.Courtesy photo. Story on next page


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By Gunnery Sgt. Reina BarnettUSSOCOM Public Affairs

Eager Lion 2015 officially comes to a close, May 19,

after more than two weeks of training in the region.

Now in its fifth year, the multinational exercise

included U.S. and Jordanian military forces and more than

two dozen partner nations. The exercise is designed to

increase interoperability and facilitate responses to

conventional and unconventional threats.

Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Abernethy, Special

Operations Central Command senior enlisted adviser,

witnessed several training events at the King Abdullah II

Special Operations Training Center in Amman, and noticed

the synergistic effect between the countries involved in the

training scenarios.

“When you can get all these type A elements … all of

these elite counter-terrorism elements all in one place, and

they all have their different ideas of how they’re going to

actually execute a mission and then get in one spot and

have them work together, compromise, and negotiate to

accomplish the mission, that truly is the essence of what

Eager Lion is all about,” said Abernethy.

The tactical execution of the missions which also

served to showcase the men’s interoperability was quite

impressive, Abernethy added.

Command Sgt. Maj. Patrick McCauley from U.S. Army

Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North

Carolina, echoed his counterpart’s sentiments.

“The fact that you could take that many assault forces

together with the language barriers, and with the

coordination that is required to pull that off, and to do so as

smoothly as they did, impressed us both,” McCauley said.

One prime example was Poland’s elite counter-

terrorism unit, otherwise known as GROM, in the lead as

the ground force planner for the non-combatant evacuation

and embassy reinforcement scenarios that took place at

KASOTC.

Both sergeants major agreed the missions were

extremely well planned out and bringing all the entities

together, the end result was very well executed.

Training together as a coalition not only increased

efficiency, it allowed members to share tactics, techniques,

and procedures they may not have had in common.

Lt. Col. Patrick Vermer, a commanding officer in the

Belgian army, said the most valuable part of the exercise

was to train and execute missions with partner nations.

“To execute our TTPs in a unique operational context

from CJTF [combined joint task force] down to tactical

units, in a physically and culturally demanding

environment, within a multinational context with elite

troops was a great opportunity,” he said.

Vermer said the training in Amman was something his

troops simply could not get in Belgium and proved

invaluable.

“In three weeks’ time here, we’ve collected an

outstanding and incomparable experience; more than in one

full year of training back home. For our planners at the staff

level and for our teams in the field, they had the

opportunity to interact and coordinate with all their

stakeholders,” Vermer said.

The future of military operations, McCauley stated,

relies on coalition teamwork.

“That’s what ultimate success is going to look like,” he

said. “It can’t be the United States trying to solve problems;

it’s got to be a coalition of governments that together, are

holistically looking at the problems that are out there and

looking for solutions.”

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class BrieCoger, helps United Arab Emirati military personnel detonateC4 training explosives at Camp Titin near Aqaba, Jordan,during exercise Eager Lion 2015. Eager Lion is a recurringmultinational exercise designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships, increase interoperability betweenpartner nations, and enhance regional security and stability.Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Arthurgwain L. Marquez.


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Eager Lion 2015 definitely tested the interoperability of

the nations and their forces and proved that training

together and building partnerships pays dividends when

conducting operations together.

Lt Col. Mohammed Al-Atiyat, a fighter controller with

the Royal Jordanian Air Force, said everyone working

together to achieve the same goal was inspiring.

“What I noticed was how armies from different

countries get along together to achieve the same goal and

try to understand each other to do their task,” Al-Atiyat

said.

“Everyone worked together – the army, ground forces,

air force, and navy – the whole government worked toward

the same goal; it was more efficient than working alone.”

Regardless of the nation, the theme that resonated over

and over was the same.

“At the end of the day, we see borders between

countries, but the enemy doesn’t see those borders; so any

time we can work together as a team, we’re going to be

much more effective,” said Abernethy.

“The U.S. is not going to win alone; we have to win

this fight through our partners. They have to be the ones in

the lead across this region if we ever want to be able to

effectively counter the violent extremist ideology we have

going on right now,” Abernethy continued.

“This is an event where we can bring all of our partners

together, build relationships, learn from each other, and go

back to our respective countries and use those techniques

we’ve learned.”

Some of those techniques were on display through the

many training scenarios in various parts of the country.

Partners participated in direct action drills, NEO exercises,

a visit, board, search and seizure exercise, as well as

smaller scenarios such as personnel recovery, combat

search and rescue, live-fire exercises, and close-quarter

battles.

Lead operations officer for Eager Lion 2015, U.S.

Army Maj. Joseph Vigueras, said the exercise’s success was

due to the input and assistance of coalition partners in the

planning process.

“Everyone who had some part in the planning and

execution of the exercise were valuable assets,” Vigueras

said.

“The exercise was designed to test our joint-

interoperability and we succeeded.”

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Christopher Burns, assistant

commanding general for U.S. Special Operations Command

Central, said Eager Lion helped coalition partners better

understand how to deploy their forces forward.

“With regard to real-world events -- especially Daesh,

the exercise allowed our coalition SOF partners to build

confidence and also allowed us to all share ideas from a

SOF perspective,” Burns said.

Future wars, Al-Atiyat said, will not be between two

countries, it will be a coalition effort.

“We want peace with all our neighbors around us, but

sometimes peace needs force, especially when other nations

don’t take it [peace] seriously,” Al-Atiyat continued.

“It’s exciting to see the training take place and tying

and weaving it all together,” Burns said.

“This exercise proves for Jordanians in particular, that

their focus and resolve to work on their security, to reflect

and begin to implement training is a serious commitment.”

Through the myriad training scenarios Eager Lion

provided, Burns said the participants learned exactly what

was needed in the region by executing complex planning

scenarios and collaborating together – realizing in the

process that no nation alone can win this fight.

“The ability for Jordan to bring all these partners

together is a testament to Jordanians that despite everything

that’s going on, their partners find value in joint training

exercises like Eager Lion,” said Burns.

Participants in this year’s exercise were: Australia,

Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Iraq, Italy,

Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,

the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, as well as

NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.

U.S. Navy divers enter the water in the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan,during a SCUBA dive as part of Eager Lion 2015. Courtesyphoto.

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Career SOF seniorNCO receives 2015B u l l S i m o n s A w a r d

By Mike BottomsUSSOCOM Public Affairs

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Richard “Rick” Lamb is

described by a colleague as “an NCO who looks like

Sergeant ‘Rock,’ and he’s got a personality that’s a mile

wide and at least a quarter-mile deep, and he’s just as

fun as fun could be.” These are qualities that get you

noticed, but it was Lamb’s leadership ability,

professionalism and competence in Special Operations

that earned him the 2015 Bull Simons Award.

The Bull Simons Award is a lifetime Special

Operations Forces achievement award and USSOCOM’s

highest honor. It was first awarded in 1990 and has since

become an annual tradition. The award recognizes

recipients who embody the true spirit, values, and skills

of a Special Operations warrior. Col. Arthur “Bull”

Simons, whom the award is named after, was the

epitome of these attributes.

Lamb’s career spans more than three decades and

multiple operations, from Eagle Claw to Iraqi Freedom,

and he comes from a family steeped in military tradition.

The men in Lamb’s family have fought in conflicts

since the Crimean War in the 1850s, the Civil War,

World War I and II, Korea and Vietnam. Rick Lamb

continued the family tradition by serving in nearly every

major SOF-related combat operation until his military

retirement in 2003 following his service in Operation

Iraqi Freedom.

“As a young kid, every male in my family that I

loved and respected either wore herringbone twill or a

police uniform, just about every male in my family

starting with long lost relatives who fought in the Charge

of the Light Brigade, my great-great grandfather who

fought in the Civil War, my grandfather who was in the

American Expeditionary Force (during World War I),

and his three sons who fought in World War II, Korea

and Vietnam,” Lamb said. “Our family military heritage

spanned quite a bit of military action, so we were a

military family. There was no doubt what I was going to

be.”

Lamb initially joined the Army National Guard

because his father and uncle were still serving.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do and in fact,

my first platoon sergeant was my uncle,” said Lamb.

“He sat me down and said, ‘Son you are good at this so

Command Sgt. Maj. Lamb’s father, (bottom right) Staff Sgt.Richard C. Lamb, in the 1950s. Lamb’s family has had men inthe military going back to the 1850s. Courtesy photo.


11

you should consider doing this full time,’ and so I went

ahead and went from the National Guard to active duty

and signed up under the Airborne Ranger enlistment

option. I reported to 1st Ranger Battalion. My first

company commander was then, Captain Grange.”

Capt. David Grange would become Maj. Gen.

Grange and commanded Lamb’s company during

Operation Eagle Claw.

Operation Eagle Claw, April 1980

On Nov. 4, 1979,

Iranian militant students

stormed the American

Embassy in Tehran, Iran,

and captured more than

60 American hostages.

Operation Eagle Claw

was developed to rescue

the hostages, and Cpl.

Lamb took part in that

mission.

“I met Rick Lamb in

1978. Tough guy, the

best in the battalion. He was the epitome of a team

leader,” Grange said.

Lamb’s company “Hard Rock Charlie” had the

airfield seizure mission inside Iran.

“We were the extraction location for the raid ... the

hostage rescue raid in Tehran,” said Grange. “Lamb was

an integral part in the security of that airfield and

extraction of both hostages and counter-terrorism forces

out of the AO (area of operation).”

“We were up to that point, pretty much Rogers’

Rangers. We’d spend Monday through Friday out in the

swamps of Fort Stewart. We were good at small unit

tactics, raids, recon, and ambushes,” said Lamb. “But he

(Grange) brought us into the dayroom one day and said,

‘Alright Rangers, I want to know who the best snipers

are; I need to know who the best machine gunners are; I

need to know who owns four-wheel drive vehicles, as a

private vehicle, and drives them off road.’ He needed to

know who has a motorcycle license, who owns dirt bikes

and drives those off road; he needed to know who grew

up on farms and who were capable of keeping things

running with bubble gum and baling wire, and who was

comfortable around machines.”

According to Lamb, Grange identified those

unorthodox skill sets and used them to task organize his

Rangers for the evolving tactics they would encounter

during the Iranian raid.

“That was the first time I had seen that degree of

flexible, unconventional thinking, and I liked it,” Lamb

said. “Being part of Eagle Claw, because that was my

first assignment as a young Ranger, I think I was all of a

corporal, so to us it was exciting. I mean the train up to

it was intense, it was the best I've ever seen. I say that

because of the time we spent flying in aircraft, working

with mock targets, and executing airfield seizures. We

had a scale terrain model that rivaled the ‘Barbara’

terrain model for the Son Tay raid. We probably took

down every air field west of the Mississippi training for

that mission; we were breaking new ground.”

Unfortunately, the rescue mission was aborted, with

tragedy following the forces’ evacuation. According to

witnesses, a helicopter lifted off, kicked up a blinding

dust cloud, and then banked toward a C-130 aircraft. Its

rotor blades sliced through the main stabilizer of the

plane. The chopper rolled over the top of the aircraft,

gushing fuel and fire as it tumbled. The resulting

explosion killed eight American servicemen and

seriously injured several others.

“We were on our final rehearsal getting ready to

board the planes, when they shut the planes down and

said there had been issues on the desert strip. So they

basically told us to sterilize the area; we didn’t want

anybody to know we were there, and then we pulled

out.” said Lamb. “It was gut-wrenching. I don’t know

how many months we had prepared for that and

everybody was on the razor’s edge. So, it was pretty

depressing. But the tactics we developed, the lessons we

learned, and the relationships we established during that

mission survive to this day. Eagle Claw set a solid

foundation for integrating vehicles, aircraft, C2, and SOF

Service Components, and propelled us into this modern

era of Special Operations.”

The Soviet Defector Incident, November 1984

Lamb was later stationed at the Joint Security Area

on Camp Kitty Hawk as it was known at the time in Pan

Mun Jom, on the border between North and South

Korea. His company commander was Army Capt. Bert

Mizusawa, now a major general.

“I was put in charge of a combat unit with a very

unique mission, and I quickly learned whoever came to

that unit because we had a high turnover given it was a

hardship tour on the DMZ and, because we were face-to-

Then Staff Sgt. Richard Lamb is kneeling and firing at NorthKorean soldiers during the Soviet Defector Incident on Nov.23, 1984. Courtesy photo.

Pvt. Richard Lamb


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face with the North Koreans, we had to work with a no-

flaw mentality,” Mizusawa said. “What we call the

Soviet Defector Incident occurred on Nov. 23, 1984, and

Vasily Matuzok apparently was planning the defection

for a few years, and he was part of a tour group that

day.”

Matuzok asked one of the North Korean border

guards to take his picture. While the guard was taking

his picture, he bolted across, ran through the U.S and

South Korean guards and shouted he was defecting. To

Matuzok’s surprise and everyone else’s, the North

Korean guard ran after him.

“The North Korean kid is in big trouble because he

has lost his charge, so he pulls his pistol and runs after

him,” said Lamb. “Our guys shoot him in the street

because now you have a North Korean soldier with a

pistol drawn chasing a defector. After that, all hell breaks

loose.”

Soon, a battle ensued and approximately 30 North

Korean soldiers entered through the Sunken Garden

firing their weapons.

“I told the quick reaction force to load trucks, which

was our signal to get on board to start moving,”

Mizusawa said.

“Everybody is looking at me because I’m the dude

with the Ranger tab, and they asked me, ‘What do we

do?’” Lamb said. “Reporting from our checkpoints let us

know that there was a large group of KPA [Korean

People’s Army] pinned down in the Sunken Garden.

This changed the mission from secure the defector to

secure the southern half of the Truce Village.”

“Lamb had us dismount, formed us on line, and then

we crested the hill and you could hear the bullets passing

by,” said Pfc. Mark DeVille. “Of course at that time I

didn’t know they were bullets, all I knew was the leaves

were moving, the trees were losing bark and I was

hearing that little sonic pop.”

The firefight would last approximately 40 minutes.

Five North Koreans were wounded and three killed,

including the infamous captain the U.S. Army believes

plotted the axe murders of two U.S. officers in 1976

during a tree-trimming operation at the DMZ. In

addition, Cpl. Jang Myung-ki, a South Korean

augmentee to the U.S. Army, was killed, and Pfc.

Michael Burgoyne was wounded.

Matuzok would survive the firefight because of the

actions of Lamb’s platoon and later move to the United

States.

“When Lamb and his squad crashed into the North

Korean flank and then moved around them, that bought

Matuzok a few seconds so we had a chance to get him

out of there,” said Mizusawa. “You always want to have

the proper mix of competence and professionalism and

he (Lamb) led the charge. He inspired the Soldiers to

follow him into what can only be described as the most

dangerous life and death situation and for all the right

reasons, his aggressive maneuvering helped prevent the

North Koreans, who initially had more people than we

did, from continuing to pursue the defector.”

Lamb would be awarded the Silver Star for his

actions in the DMZ that day.

Operation Just Cause, December 1989

Between Dec. 20, 1989, and Jan. 31, 1990, the

United States invaded Panama to oust the country’s

dictator General Manuel Noriega. Lamb was deeply

involved in the invasion.

“On the night of D-Day of Just Cause, Lamb led a

four-man assault team fast roping on top of a multi-story

building that was eighteen to twenty stories,” said retired

Col. David McCracken who was a major at the time and

Lamb’s commander.

“We had just come back from knocking out a TV

station, basically just knocking down the lines of

communication and one of the guys turns on a little

transistor radio and he’s flipping through the channels

and he hears Noriega giving a speech,” Lamb said.

“Someone asked for the radio station call numbers and

we found a Panamanian phone book and looked up the

address. We realized that the radio station was right

down the street so the SOC [Special Operations

Command - South] cranked helicopters and we flew over

the building, identified it, and fast roped onto the roof.”

The team thought Noriega might be giving a live

speech at the radio station and were intent on capturing

him.

“Rick was one of the lead team leaders off the

helicopters and took the fast ropes that had fallen down

onto the roof and did a field expedient mechanism to

take the fast rope and tie it off and then further fast rope

down onto the balcony of a restaurant there at the top of

the building because otherwise we really weren’t sure

how we were going to get into the building,” McCracken

said.

“It was like a nineteen-story building I think, and we

A North Korean soldier drags his wounded comrade tosafety after the Soviet Defector Incident Nov. 23, 1984.Courtesy photo.


13

lowered ourselves down to the eighteenth floor onto a

balcony and then we were able to breach the glass

sliding doors on the balcony and get into the office

complex and then run back upstairs and let the boys in. I

think we went down, I can’t remember the floor the radio

station was on, but it was a tape (not Noriega) and we

were successful in knocking the radio station out.”

As SOF missions began to expand outside the major

cities, Lamb was instrumental in developing and

coordinating the tactics for what would become known

as “Ma Bell” capitulation operations. Working with

Rangers from the 75th Ranger Regiment, Lamb

designed, rehearsed and implemented the first major

surrender operation outside Panama City, capturing 188

Panamanian Defense Force personnel which led to the

surrender of an entire military zone. This template was

subsequently used throughout the remainder of Operation

Just Cause with great success and would later earn Lamb

a Bronze Star.

Task Force Ranger, Mogadishu, Somalia October

1993

The Battle of Mogadishu was part of Operation

Gothic Serpent and was fought Oct. 3 and 4, 1993, in

Somalia. The battle put U.S. and international forces

against Somali militiamen loyal to Mohamed Farrah

Aideed.

“There were eight different warring factions in

Mogadishu at the time and we went there as part of the

United Nations mission, but we weren’t there to provide

security. Our mission was man-hunting. We were going

after Mohamad Farrah Aideed and all of his lieutenants,”

said 1st Lieutenant Tom DiTomasso, a Task Force

Ranger platoon leader.

On Oct. 3, 1993, a mission to capture Aideed was

generated, but the mission erupted into a furious battle

with two Black Hawk helicopters crashing into the

streets of Mogadishu. Task Force Ranger would rush to

one of the Black Hawk crash sites.

“Three October was a Sunday, which was

traditionally a down day for the task force,” said Maj.

Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Lamb (front row, second from left) in Panama in the late 1980s. Lamb was instrumental indeveloping and coordinating the tactics for what would become known as “Ma Bell” operations during Operation JustCause, capturing 188 Panamanian Defense Force personnel which led to the surrender of an entire military zone.

Rangers are engaged in a firefight, Oct. 3, 1993. Courtesyphoto.


14

Gen. Austin “Scottie” Miller, then a captain and assault

force commander. “The idea was a quick in, secure the

target, then quick out.”

“We launched on the mission at 1533 in the

afternoon. Within minutes of the air assault raid on the

building, the two lieutenants we were going after were

captured,” DiTomasso said. “As we were getting ready

to leave, the first Black Hawk was shot down. There

was a large crowd to our north and there was a lot of

shooting going on outside of the building. All of the

Ranger positions were under direct small-arms fire,

hand grenades were being thrown over the walls ...

everything was very, very close proximity as far as the

fighting goes. Several of us raced the crowd to get to

the crash site first and we were able to successfully

defend the crash site throughout the afternoon and into

the entire evening.”

“The convoy going back, as we listened to the

debriefs afterward, was in a terrible firefight, convoys

were riddled with RPGs and automatic weapons fire,

they were losing individuals, KIAs, individuals

wounded in action, and they were fighting their way

back trying to get back to the airfield,” Miller said.

“Once the birds went down, we immediately

scrambled a convoy, we tried to link up with 10th

Mountain, they were coming from the north of the city

and we were coming from the south, and each element

got repulsed and had to turn around and go back,” Lamb

said.

The convoys made it back to the safety of the home

base, but they wouldn’t be there long.

“So, I don’t know if I could even paint the picture

for you, but imagine five-ton trucks and Humvees

coming out of the city, the sun is getting ready to go

down, but they have been ambushed the entire way back

from the objective area and back ... they have prisoners

that are wounded, they have American Soldiers that are

wounded and killed,” DiTomasso said. “The call then

goes out by the commander to every able bodied Ranger

that is at the airfield to include the headquarters, the

administrative guys, and the clerks, ‘Everybody grab a

rifle, we’re going to wash out the trucks and you’re

going back in the city to try and reinforce the

objective.’”

“This is the beauty of having someone like Rick

Lamb in your formation, a senior non-commissioned

officer, well experienced, been around a bit and not a

stranger to firefights, and able to bring a steady,

calming leadership to a very chaotic situation, dealing

with young Soldiers who have not seen this type of

fighting previously,” Miller said. “Seeing their friends

wounded or killed, and we’re asking them to get back

into the vehicles that didn’t protect them the first time,

and we need you to move to effect a rescue operation.

It’s tremendous leadership; having someone like Rick

Lamb out there was exactly what you needed at the

time.”

“You look into the eyes of the kids that just came

back. You’re inside the perimeter, you’re safe, then you

could see the blood drain out of their faces, they knew

they had to go back out, but it goes back to that Ranger

creed. You look at them and say, ‘you guys knew this

was going to be tough when we signed up,’ you

motivate them a little bit and you go out,” Lamb said.

Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, then a major in 3rd

Ranger Battalion, described Lamb’s actions that day.

“The first Humvee was an up-gunned Humvee with

a machine gun and they would go through the

intersection and they would shoot the corners of the

intersection and all the Somalis would duck down, and

the second Humvee would come through and shoot and

the Somalis would again get down, then Lamb’s

Humvee would come through and all the Somalis would

jump up and shoot and Lamb said, ‘It’s crazy, what am I

doing in the third Humvee?’” said Ferriter.

“There was an RPG flash off to the right side. You

could hear the guys in the back yelling RPG and

everything slowed to where you could almost follow it

with your eyes. It hit in the alleyway to my left,” Lamb

said. “I can remember my head going back and

watching a spurt of blood hit the running lights on the

dashboard and I remember swearing under my breath

and saying, ‘damn it, I just got killed,’ and everything

went to a white pristine point of light, everything got

quiet. I was almost feeling pretty good; you’re wet,

you’re sweaty, it’s noisy, it’s stinky, and everything was

feeling ‘nirvana-ish,’ (sic) then I remember focusing on

that white spot of light then thinking about my kid,

what about my wife? Then the guys in the back hit me

in the back of my head and yelled, ‘don’t stop here,

don’t stop here!’”

Then Sgt. 1st Class Richard Lamb recovering from surgery in1993 due to injuries he received in Somalia. Courtesy photo.


15

A piece of shrapnel had lodged in Lamb’s head

causing him to be shipped back to the United States for

treatment.

“When he got to the hospital they took a frontal X-

ray and there was a thin, gray line where that dot had

been. They took a side view and it was like a razor

blade, a triangular razor blade had gone straight into his

head and right between his lobes in his brain,” Ferriter

said. “The doctor told him, ‘I am good enough to get

that out, but I wouldn’t have been good enough to put

that in.’”

Lamb would receive the Joint Service

Commendation Medal with Valor for his actions and the

Purple Heart for his injuries.

Conclusion

Lamb continued to serve on active duty for 10 more

years before retiring in 2003. He also participated in

missions in Haiti, Bosnia, Djibouti, and, finally, in

Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Each successive assignment in SOF seemed to

build on the last,” Lamb said. “I remember during the

rehearsals for the invasion of Haiti, I looked at the

assembled Task Force and thought about how far we

had come as a force. On the Tarmac was a razor sharp,

truly Joint Force that could seize and hold just about

any spot on the planet for as long as we cared to keep it.

It was awesome to be a part of that maturation process.”

Looking back on his service in Special Operations

Lamb reflected, “From the moment I joined SOF, I

found myself surrounded by legendary men! They were

Rangers and Recon men, men from the OSS, CIDG, and

SOG. Men who jumped into Normandy, led bayonet

charges in Korea, and kept small camps in El Salvador

from being overrun. I met men of myth and character –

men with unparalleled work ethic – men of

improvisation. Men they write stories about and make

into movies. Men that motivated me, trained me,

showed patience, chewed my ass, saved me, protected

me, led me, followed me, demanded a high standard,

challenged me, and above all focused me. The fact that

some of it rubbed off is more a testament to them than

to me. I consider myself truly blessed to say I walked

among them.”

Today, Lamb continues to serve as a Department of

Defense civilian at U.S. Special Operations Command

in the J3-International directorate, where he was

instrumental in designing a state-of-the-art collaborative

work space that exists nowhere else in the United States

government and integrates international Special

Operations officers from more than 15 partner nations

into USSOCOM.

Lamb has been praised by very senior officers in the

Army and the Department of Defense, but perhaps his

highest compliment came from Mark DeVille, who, as a

19-year-old private, served in Lamb’s squad during the

Soviet Defector Incident in Korea in 1984.

“What I saw him do during that firefight, and how

he influenced me to stand by him and do the same

thing, expose ourselves as we did, you tell me how

good a leader he was. I followed him,” DeVille said.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Lamb receives the 2015 USSOCOM Bull Simons award from Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel,commander U.S. Special Operations Command, May 20, in Tampa, Fla. The Bull Simons Award is named in honor Army Col.Arthur D. “Bull” Simons and is given for lifetime achievements in Special Operations. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Angelita Lawrence.


16

Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, vice chief of staff, United States Army, presents Staff Sgt. Travis Dunn, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment, with the Bronze Star with Valor and a Purple Heart during the Battalion Award Ceremony on HunterArmy Airfield, Savannah, Ga., April 29. Photo by Pfc. Eric W. Overfelt.

1 s t B a t t a l i o n , 7 5 t h R a n g e rR e g i m e n t h o n o r s i t s h e r o e sBy Tracy Bailey75th Ranger Regiment Public Affairs

Two Rangers assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger

Regiment were awarded the nation’s third highest honor

for their heroic actions at a battalion awards ceremony,

April 29, at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Staff Sgt. James Jones, a Ranger Squad Leader and

Sgt. Derek Anderson, a Ranger Team Leader, both with

Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment,

were awarded the Silver Star Medal for their actions

during an assault against an armed enemy in Nangarhar

province, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2014.

“Today we celebrate [the Warrior Ethos], along with

the values of courage and valor,” said Gen. Daniel B.

Allyn, vice chief of staff of the United States Army. “The

example this unit sets, and the expertise the Ranger

Regiment builds and carries to the rest of the force, is a

large part of what makes us the greatest fighting force in

the world.”

Jones and Anderson maneuvered on multiple enemy

fighting positions during a sustained six-hour direct fire

engagement resulting in the elimination of more than 25

enemy combatants according to the official citation. Both

Rangers, without regard for their own personal safety

placed themselves in direct fire and imminent danger to

move a wounded Ranger to safety. They undoubtedly

saved the lives of numerous Rangers and directly

contributed to the success of the joint task force.

“Anybody in this battalion or in this regiment would

do the exact same thing. I just happened to be the one

standing there. We all work hard, train hard … we all do

the same thing,” said Anderson. “We just do the job for the

guys to our left and right. I don’t think anyone here really

wants to be put in the spotlight.”

In addition, two Rangers received Bronze Star Medals

with valor, two Rangers received the Joint Service

Commendation Medal with valor, and one Ranger received

the Purple Heart Medal.

First Battalion received the Meritorious Unit Citation


17

and Bravo Company received the Valorous Unit Award for

actions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, May 15

- Aug. 28, 2011.

“During summer 2011, the International Security

Assistance Force surge in Afghanistan was at its peak, and

we were in the process of eradicating the Taliban from

historic strongholds,” Allyn said. “The warriors of 1st

Ranger Battalion delivered a decisive role. You fought in

places that will forever resound in Ranger lore. Names like

Khost, Paktika and Nangarhar, will hold a hallowed place

in the hearts and souls of all veterans of the Afghanistan

campaign.”

Allyn went on to praise the actions of 1st Battalion.

“Nowhere is the discipline, endurance, expertise, and

confidence more apparent than in the 1st Ranger Battalion,

and it’s reflected in the eyes of every Ranger in this

formation,” Allyn said. “Knowing that you serve with our

nation’s best gives you the courage to always do your duty

… and triumph over fear. And that courage was on full

display during the summer of 2011.”

First Battalion supported the surge into Afghanistan

while conducting continuous combat operations, including

time sensitive raids and deliberate movement to contact

operations while in enemy held terrain out of reach by

other friendly forces.

Bravo Company also received the Valorous Unit Award

for their extraordinary heroism, combat achievement, and

unwavering fidelity while executing numerous and diverse

missions.

These awards did not come without a price.

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Katzenberger was killed June 14,

2011, and Sgt. Alessandro Plutino was killed Aug. 8, 2011

in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

“… We honor the sacrifice of all who have served

before them, especially those who have made the ultimate

sacrifice … and laid down their lives in defense of the

values we unwavering pursue, and the freedom our service

guarantees.”

Charlie Company received the Valorous Unit Award

for extraordinary heroism, combat achievement and

conspicuous gallantry while executing combat operations

in support of a named operation November 2010. The

Rangers conducted a deliberate movement to contact in

enemy held terrain. The collective acts of heroism

demonstrated by these Rangers contributed significantly to

the success of the United States and the Islamic Republic

of Afghanistan.

In the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, President

George W. Bush said, “We will not waver; we will not tire;

we will not falter; and we will not fail.”

Allyn referring to this quote when ending the

ceremony..

“This is an inspiring quote ... but the American resolve

President George W. Bush referred to is not new, and it

would have been equally powerful had he simply recited:

‘Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to

fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission

though I be the lone survivor.’ Your actions make me

prouder than ever to be a Ranger and a veteran of this

historic outfit. God Bless you, our great supporting Ranger

families, and all of our heroes serving near and far ...

Rangers Lead the Way!”

Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, vice chief of staff of the United StatesArmy, presents the Silver Star to Staff Sgt. James B. Jones forhis heroic actions in support of Operation Enduring Freedomat Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Ga., April 29. Photo by Pfc.Eric W. Overfelt.

Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, vice chief of staff of the United StatesArmy, presents the nation’s third highest award, the SilverStar, to Sgt. Derek J. Anderson for his heroic actions insupport of Operation Enduring Freedom at Hunter ArmyAirfield, Savannah, Ga., April 29. Photo by Pfc. Eric W.Overfelt.


18

Plumlee earns Silver StarBy Sgt. Michael Sword1st Special Forces Group(Airborne)

The explosion they heard Aug. 28, 2013, was a nearly-

2000-pound vehicle-borne IED that shook Forward

Operating Base Ghazni in Afghanistan, and as the smoke

cleared, insurgents dressed in Afghan National Army

uniforms could be seen entering the newly-created hole in

the perimeter of the base.

By that time, several Green Berets from 1st Special

Forces Group (Airborne) were already on their way,

discovering several well-armed insurgents had already

made their way into the base and were beginning to open

fire.

Driving in a truck to the scene, they came face-to-face

with one of the insurgents as he reloaded his AK-47 rifle.

One operator remembers making eye contact with one

of the attackers just before he started firing bullets into the

truck. At that moment, Sgt. 1st Class Earl Plumlee leapt

from the truck and began firing his pistol at the enemy.

Another insurgent began firing on Plumlee from

nearby. He fired a single round in the attacker’s chest,

resulting in a large explosion.

“That’s when I became aware that there were suicide

vests on the fighters,” he said.

The fight instantly became more deadly as the Green

Berets were taking more and more small-arms fire while

worrying about the possibility of a suicide vest going off

near them.

The group of operators continued to engage the

insurgents, making their way through bullets flying and

vests exploding, when an insurgent began to attack them

from the rear.

After engaging the enemy, Plumlee saw a downed U.S.

Soldier next to the enemy, ran to him, pulled him to safety

and began first-aid procedures, applying multiple

tourniquets. He then directed a civilian and a U.S. Soldier

to load the wounded Soldier on a vehicle and evacuate him

to the Forward Surgical Team unit on base.

Plumlee then took charge of three coalition Soldiers

and conducted a methodical search of the surrounding

areas to ensure no additional insurgents remained.

“The strongest emotion I had from that day was the

last time we were pushing down and had really gotten

organized we were moving as a really aggressive, synced-

up stack, moving right into the chaos,” Plumlee said. “It

was probably the proudest moment of my career, just to be

with those guys, at that time, on that day, was just

awesome.”

Nearly two years later, Plumlee was awarded the Silver

Star Medal by Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl, I Corps Deputy

commanding general, for his actions that day during a

ceremony at the 1st SFG (A) Memorial Wall, May 1.

The actions that day resulted in more than 55 awards,

including Plumlee’s Silver Star. More important, were the

hundreds of lives saved by 1st SFG (A) Green Berets

“It’s no exaggeration when I say they saved FOB

Ghazni,” said Maj. K, a Special Forces Soldier that was

there that day. “If they would have arrived 10 seconds later

than they did, the insurgents would have been in the more

densely populated part of FOB Ghazni.”

“They, on their own accord, moved to the sound of the

guns, they moved to the breach point and they destroyed

the enemy,” he added.

“I realize that I am representing a number of general

officers throughout the military who would prefer to be

officiating this ceremony if they could be here,” said Dahl.

“It was Sgt. Plumlee that was there at that time and

place, and it was he who had the opportunity to

demonstrate uncommon gallantry, and it is he we are

recognizing today with a well-deserved silver star,” Dahl

continued.

Sgt. 1st Class Earl D. Plumlee, assigned to 1st Special ForcesGroup (A), is presented the Silver Star Medal for his actions inAfghanistan at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. on May 1.Photo by Spc. Codie Mendenhall.


19

Night Stalker awarded Soldier’s MedalStory and photo by Staff Sgt. Gaelen Lowers160th SOAR (A) Public Affairs

It was midday Aug. 2, 2014. Staff Sgt. Jeremy

Samuels, a medic and then student attending the Combat

Skills Training Course assessing to become a part of the

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was driving

down the road near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when he

witnessed a horrific accident between three vehicles.

Without hesitation, Samuels parked his vehicle and

sprinted toward one of the vehicles, ignoring the 2-foot-

high flames projecting from the engine compartment.

Samuels attempted to open the door of the burning

vehicle, but because of the extensive damage, the door

wouldn’t budge. As the flames grew higher and started

spreading across the rest of the vehicle, Samuels used a

closed pocketknife to strike the window until it shattered

and removed the female passenger from the flame-

engulfed vehicle.

Samuels used his advanced medical training to assess

the passengers from each of the three vehicles and

applied first-aid treatment to those who needed it;

ignoring wounds he sustained while extracting the first

passenger.

For his heroism and disregard for his own safety,

Samuels was rightfully awarded the Soldier’s Medal, the

nation’s highest non-combat related heroism award, May

20, at the 160th SOAR (A)’s compound.

Brig. Gen. Erik Peterson, the commanding general of

the United States Army Special Operations Aviation

Command presented the award.

“I am proud and humbled to present this award to

Staff Sgt. Samuels,” said Peterson. He went on to say that

Samuel’s actions are in keeping with the finest traditions

of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself,

the 160th SOAR (A) and the United States Army.

Brig. Gen. Erik Peterson, thecommanding general of the UnitedStates Army Special OperationsAviation Command, awards theSoldier’s Medal to Staff Sgt.Jeremy Samuels, a medic with the160th Special Operations AviationRegiment, (Airborne) May 20.


20

Special ops cultural support teamw o m e n s e r v e w i t h d i s t i n c t i o n

A U.S. Army Cultural Support Teammember from Special Operations TaskForce - East, shakes the hand of a youngAfghan, while on a presence patrol. Photoby Spc. Patricia Caputo.

By Terri Moon CronkDefense Media Activity

Three women, who served overseas on cultural support

teams in battle alongside U.S. special operators, shared their

experiences during a panel discussion at the Carnegie

Endowment for International Peace, April 27.

The trio - an Air Force officer, an Army non-

commissioned officer, and a former Army NCO -

participated in a daylong review of the roles of women in

combat, following the 2013 repeal of the Direct Ground

Combat Definition and Assignment Rule, which had

excluded women from serving in combat since 1994.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of the recently released

book titled “Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of

Women Soldiers on the Special Operations Battlefield,” was

the panel’s moderator.

The cultural support team, or CST, pilot program was

underway when Army 1st Lt. Ashley White-Stumpf was

killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan’s

Kandahar province during an Oct. 22, 2011 night raid while

her unit was embedded with the Army’s 75th Ranger

Regiment.

“These women were bonded and had a sisterhood like

none other,” Tzemach Lemmon said. The story of cultural

support teams, she said, is “one of purpose; a heroes’ story

we haven’t heard as a country … and about people, who

wanted to do something with a real-value mission as the

women who served alongside the best of best.”

Women Warriors

Servicewomen, who have served on cultural support

21


teams, have been hailed as warriors by senior military

leadership, said Tzemach Lemmon, adding that through her

book research, she learned doing a job in combat comes

down to who best can fill those mission requirements.

“So many leaders would say, ‘I know what the

regulations are, but this is a war we’re fighting. We have to be

innovative and use the best people,’” she said.

Women came into the program after special operations

officials discussed its legality with military lawyers, Tzemach

Lemmon learned. “They said, ‘Yes, you can attach [women]

to special operations units. It’s perfectly legal,’” she said.

Those Who Served Gained

Army Sgt. 1st Class Meghan Malloy, Air Force Capt.

Annie Yu Kleiman and Army Sgt. Janiece Marquez served

with White. All attended the cultural support team school on

Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to learn about medical civic

action programs, searches and seizures, humanitarian

assistance and civil-military operations, basic human

behavior, tribalism, Islamic and Afghan cultures, and the role

of women in Afghanistan.

Malloy was an Army medic with three deployments

when she learned of the CST program and felt driven to

become a part of it. “I jumped on it and would do it again in a

heartbeat,” she said.

Kleiman’s husband flew reconnaissance aircraft

providing over watch for the teams, who encouraged her to

apply to the CST school. She did not believe women in battle

existed, she said.

“I had this weird cognitive dissonance going on,” said

Kleiman, who recalled thinking, “I’m not going to be in

combat. The objective is going to be secured before they

bring us in.”

During training, the women thought they would walk

with the platoon leader and be separate from the assault

element, Kleiman said.

“We all bought into the combat exclusion thing and

thought we wouldn’t be in combat,” she said. Now, Kleiman

recalls bullets zipping past her from distances of 50 to 100

feet.

A Role with a Purpose

With the support of a superior, Marquez said, she fought

her way up the chain of command to gain acceptance into the

program.

“I finally had a purpose,” she said of her new role on the

cultural support team. “It wasn’t just being in the military and

following everyone else. I was able to be a pioneer in a

program that hadn’t started yet … a brand-new concept of

putting women on these teams and being able to fight on the

front lines. It was exciting.”

The women rehearsed with the special operations forces,

Marquez said. “And there were times when I was the gunner.

[That’s what] I did the entire last three months of my

deployment.”

Malloy and her female cultural support team partner

worked hard at performing better.

“We’d wonder, ‘What can we do for this team?’” she

said. “How can we gather intel? How can we gain a bond

with the women and children so they’re willing to give us this

info that would potentially help out the team?”

Malloy said that kind of thinking has helped in her career

because she looks at issues from a leadership perspective.

Confidence in Performance

Serving on the cultural support team has provided

“through the roof” confidence to Marquez, she said.

“A lot more doors are open that wouldn’t be if I didn’t

have the combat experience,” said Marquez, who is now

working in South America.

Marquez said senior leaders put their confidence in her

because she was willing to put herself up front to fight and

learn.

“Foreign military commanders invite me into their offices

and talk about how to fix their programs because of what I’ve

done,” Marquez said. “Had I not been a CST [member] and

fought on the front lines, I wouldn’t have the clout that I do.”

Women in the cultural support team program learn things

that are completely new to them, Marquez said.

“And you go out there and put your best foot forward,”

she said.

A team leader for a U.S. Special Operations Cultural SupportTeam, hands out utensils during a women’s shura held in thevillage of Oshay, Afghanistan. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. KailyBrown.


22

A Scan Eagle unmanned aerialvehicle takes flight during atraining exercise, May 12, atCamp Roberts, Calif. ScanEagles provide surveillanceassistance to Naval SpecialWarfare personnel operating in avariety of environments aroundthe world. Photo by SeamanRichard A. Miller.


23

A New Approach; NSW OpensUnmanned Aircraft System SchoolBy Seaman Richard MillerNSW Public Affairs

Late in the morning, the sun beats down on a small

group of structures in the middle of a field in Camp

Roberts, Calif. More than a dozen men gather around a

tent at the back end of the site as Senior Chief Aviation

Structural Mechanic Travis Bramwell speaks to them. As

he speaks, a man kneels beside him and refuels a Scan

Eagle unmanned aerial system.

Bramwell has worked with, and trained others on

Scan Eagle for many years, but the group surrounding

him now is different. They are the very first class to

attend the Naval Special Warfare Advanced Training

Command’s new Scan Eagle training school.

“This is the first stepping stone in the development of

our UAS operators,” said Lt. Cmdr. Stephanie Muskovac,

the Special Reconnaissance Team Two UAS troop

commander.

Scan Eagle unmanned aerial systems are piloted

remotely and can be used in a variety of different settings.

“Scan Eagle is a runway-independent aircraft,” said

Chief Operations Specialist Richard Baker, a student in

the course. “It has a myriad of capabilities we can bring

to the fight.”

The craft’s versatility makes it a valuable asset to

operators down range.

“This technology is an organic platform, so when

we’re with the operator they don’t have to request support

from anywhere else,” said Baker. “We’re right there with

them and we’re on top of it.”

The brand new course, which consists of classroom

instruction in a new schoolhouse at Silver Strand Training

Complex in Imperial Beach, Calif. and hands-on training

at Camp Roberts, marks the first time Naval Special

Warfare has instructed its own UAS course from start to

finish.

“This schoolhouse has been in development for as

long as I’ve been in NSW,” said Bramwell. “It’s been

around seven years.”

Before shifting to the schoolhouse, students who

received Scan Eagle training traveled to Oregon to learn

from civilian instructors. The new course provides an

opportunity for students to receive training tailored to

their own mission.

“We’re going to have a better product here and a lot

more structure,” said Bramwell. “There’s a level of

attention and specialization we can provide here the

school previously lacked.”

The new approach to Scan Eagle training is a

condensed and accelerated version of the training students

had received in Oregon.

“It’s intense, it’s fast, and the learning curve is quick,

but the instructors and the group of guys we have are

awesome, so we all learn together,” said Baker. “We all

succeed as a team.”

The specialized training aims to give students a leg

up and make them more prepared to operate Scan Eagle

systems in any environment for any mission they may be

assigned to.

“I want to have a better-qualified UAS operator

coming right out the door,” said Bramwell.

After years of planning, the opening of the

schoolhouse has immediately had an impact on the

community.

“It’s pretty amazing how far this program has come

in a short period of time,” said Muskovac. “It’s a true

testament to the spec-war mentality. They saw a need and

they found a solution.”

While still brand new, the Scan Eagle program is

already expanding.

“You start with one good idea, and now we’re

building an enterprise around it,” said Muskovac. “We’re

becoming more professional with having our own

instructors and establishing our own safety guidelines and

tactical principles.”

Muskovac, Bramwell and Baker all predict the course

will keep its momentum and continue to improve and

evolve as time goes on.

“This program is still growing,” said Baker. “I see it

getting larger, I see it getting more attention and being a

valuable asset to the community.”


24

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, and U.S. Navy Vice AdmiralSean A. Pybus, deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, stand beside three U.S. Air Force Special Tacticscombat controllers, who received the Air Force Cross and two Silver Stars. They are credited with saving the lives of more than80 U.S. Army Special Forces and Afghan Commando teammates.

Story and photos by Airman First Class Ryan Conroy1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

Three Special Tactics combat controllers were awarded

the Air Force Cross and two Silver Star medals at Pope

Army Airfield, N.C., May 6, for extraordinary heroism and

gallantry in the face of danger while on a deployment to

Afghanistan in September 2014.

The combat controllers, all from the 21st Special

Tactics Squadron, were recognized for their superior

integration of air and ground power against armed enemies

of the United States.

Lt. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold, commander of Air Force

Special Operations Command, presented Senior Airman

Dustin T. Temple the seventh Air Force Cross since 9/11.

He also presented Tech. Sgt. Matthew J. Greiner and

Senior Airman Goodie J. Goodman the Silver Star medal --

the 31st and 32nd Silver Star medals for the Special Tactics

community since 9/11.

“You are the guardians who run toward the sound of

the guns and not away from them,” said Heithold. “Your

bravery, your intensity and your pure guts ... you epitomize

what being an Air Commando is all about.

“Not everyone deserves to be called a hero ... you do,”

said Heithold.

This is only the second battle in U.S. Air Force history

resulting in an Air Force Cross and multiple Silver Star

medals in the last fifteen years.

The three Special Tactics combat controllers were

embedded with a U.S. Special Forces team in Helmand

Province, Afghanistan, when their team infiltrated a well-

known enemy staging point by helicopter, Sept. 27, 2014.

48-hour Afghanistan battle results inAir Force Cross, Silver Star medals


25

Their mission was to disrupt insurgent operations,

including drug and weapons caches, and enemy command

and control. Their unit came under heavy machine-gunfire,

rocket-propelled grenades, and small-arms fire from

approximately 100 insurgents who would not back down.

The combat controllers acted on instinct and training

and immediately assessed the situation before jumping to

action.

“It was unlike anything I could have ever imagined …

unlike anything you can prepare yourself for,” said Temple.

“It all came back to training for me at that point. I

remember thinking back to those days in training that were

really tough, and now I realize they were preparing me for

something like this.”

A teammate, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew

Weathers, was gravely wounded by a sniper, and Temple

put himself in the direct line of fire to drag his wounded

teammate from a rooftop. At this same time, Goodman was

under a barrage of machine-gun fire, with bullets narrowly

missing his head by inches, according to the award citation.

Still, Goodman secured his rooftop position in order to

repel the insurgent force with close air support and his

personal weapon.

With friendly forces taking fire from within 200 meters,

Greiner and Goodman began coordinating multiple close air

support strikes from AH-64 Apache attack helicopters on

the closest threats while simultaneously coordinating

danger-close mortar fire on enemy forces 300 meters away.

With a medical evacuation helicopter inbound, Temple

once again risked his own life, carrying his wounded

teammate across 100 meters of open terrain to a landing

zone.

As overwhelming and accurate enemy machine-gun fire

suppressed Temple and his team, he remained on the open

landing zone providing cover fire while his teammates

pulled back.

After he returned to the compound, enemy fighters

surged within 40 meters after intercepted communications

stated, “Take the Americans alive.” Temple immediately

directed danger-close F-16 Fighting Falcon strafing runs to

repel the assault.

As the supplies dwindled during the 48-hour firefight,

Temple braved open terrain several times to retrieve critical

ammunition from a resupply helicopter. At the same time,

Greiner coordinated precision airstrikes to cover Temple

and the other Special Forces team members.

“These Airmen are much of the reason I am standing

here today,” said U.S. Army Capt. Evan Lacenski, Special

Forces team leader for the combat controllers while

deployed. “They were faced with one of the most

significant battles of Operation Enduring Freedom, in my

opinion, and they acted professionally, valorously,

flawlessly and executed the mission. I couldn’t ask for a

better group of Airmen.”

The men are credited with saving the lives of 21 U.S.

Special Operations forces and approximately 60 Afghan

commandos.

“These Special Tactics Airmen turned the tide of the

battle with heroism and extraordinary competence. I’m

privileged to be on this stage with them this morning,” said

U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Sean A. Pybus, deputy commander

of U.S. Special Operations Command. “These are the best

of us.”

The event drew more than 450 attendees, including the

Airmen’s family, friends and colleagues. Pybus and

Heithold both took time to thank the families for their

support.

“I want to thank their families for allowing them to

serve at AFSOC, and supporting their service ... You have

our gratitude and our enduring thanks,” said Pybus.

The Special Tactics Airmen’s integration of airpower

during the battle tallied a total of 80 airstrikes, eliminating a

confirmed 38 insurgents, destroying 28 vehicles, 17

buildings and 32 enemy fighting positions.

“Every combat controller I know has the ability and

training to do what it takes,” said Temple. “I know that any

of those guys would have my back in a situation like this.

That’s just the level of expertise and competence in our

community.”

U.S. Army Capt. Evan Lacenski, Special Forces team leaderfor the three combat controllers, laughs with Senior AirmanGoodie Goodman, Special Tactics combat controller andSilver Star recipient. Lacenski credits the combat controllers’control of close air support with saving lives of their jointteammates in a 48-hour battle in September 2014.


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A U.S. Air Force combat controller jumps out of an MC-130J Combat Shadow II during EmeraldWarrior 2015 at Hurlburt Field, Fla., April 22. Emerald Warrior is the Department of Defense’sonly irregular warfare exercise, allowing joint and combined partners to train together andprepare for real-world contingency operations. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Douglas Ellis.

Story on page 28


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By Erica VegaAFSOC Public Affairs

More than 2,100 members participated in Emerald

Warrior, an annual Air Force Special Operations

Command two-week joint service, interagency and

partner nation exercise that concluded here May 1.

“Emerald Warrior 2015 was a complete success,”

said Col. Brenda Cartier, Emerald Warrior 2015

exercise director. “It has gone spectacularly. I am very

proud of the team and of the folks that have

participated.”

The exercise provides realistic and relevant pre-

deployment training encompassing multiple joint

operating areas. The exercise prepares special

operations forces, conventional force enablers, partner

nations and interagency elements to integrate with and

execute full spectrum special operations.

“It is very important for us to operate with other

nations to see how they conduct their training, tactics

and procedures,” said Flt. Lt. Mark Dilley, British

Royal Air Force. “It is essential to expose our air crews

to large scale multi-national operations and to other

disciplines they might not normally see.”

Cartier echoed the importance of training in the

joint, combined environment.

“Coalitions are key to successful operations,

together we become a better more integrated force,” she

said.

This year’s iteration of Emerald Warrior had more

complex training scenarios that used more advanced

tactics, techniques and procedures. It is the Defense

Department’s only irregular warfare exercise, using

both live and virtual training.

“The three elements that we’re accredited to train in

are Close Air Support, Tactical Mobility and

Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance,” said

Cartier. “Emerald Warrior is one of the few exercises of

this magnitude where you really get to do these partial

and full mission profiles in a night-time scenario. The

missions that we’ve conducted during the past two

weeks are as complex, and sometimes more complex,

than the mission that created (U.S. Special Operations

Command),” said Cartier.

The exercise took place in multiple training areas at

Hurlburt Field, Eglin Air Force Base and Apalachicola

in Florida; Camp Shelby and Stennis Space Center in

Mississippi; Pelham Range in Alabama; and Cannon

AFB in New Mexico.

“We want to thank our local community and all of

the civilian agencies that supported us throughout this

exercise,” said Cartier.

Chilean Air Force commandos conduct fast-rope trainingout of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey during EmeraldWarrior near Hurlburt Field, Fla., April 21. EmeraldWarrior is the Department of Defense’s only irregularwarfare exercise, allowing joint and combined partners totrain together and prepare for real-world contingencyoperations. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Bruch.


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A training rocket launches to engage incoming aircraftduring Emerald Warrior 2015, at Elizabeth Drop Zone,Fla., April 22. The 1st Special Operations SupportSquadron directs operations of nine unique flights withmore than 400 personnel in the most diverse operationssupport squadron in the Air Force. Photo by Air ForceStaff Sgt. DeAndre Curtiss.

(Top left) An Air Force Special Operations Forces medicalelement team member, 1st Special Operations SupportSquadron, and a U.S. Army Special OperationsResuscitation Team member, 528th Sustainment Brigade,examine a patient at Crestview Airfield, Fla., April 23. Photoby Senior Airman Cory D. Payne.

(Left) A member of the Chilean navy jumps from a CH-47Chinook as part of Emerald Warrior at Hurlburt Field, Fla.,April 21. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenneth W. Norman.

(Above) A combat controller, 21st Special TacticsSquadron, observes an AC-130 Gunship conduct a live-firemission during Emerald Warrior at Camp Shelby, Miss.,April 22. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder.


30

Maj. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, presents Gunnery Sgt.Brian C. Jacklin with the Navy Cross Medal, the second highest award for valor, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.,April 9. Jacklin received the award in recognition of his actions during a two-day firefight with the Taliban in Helmand province,Afghanistan, which started June 14, 2012.

Navy Cross, Bronze Stars with Valora w a r d e d t o M A R S O C M a r i n e sStory and photo by Lance Cpl. Steven FoxMARSOC Public Affairs

On the morning of June 14, 2012, in the extremely

kinetic Upper Gereshk Valley of Helmand Province,

Afghanistan, a firefight erupted between a Marine Special

Operations Team and the enemy. The MSOT, with 1st

Marine Special Operations Battalion, had been conducting

village stability operations in the area when the enemy

opened fire, severely wounding the team leader and another

teammate.

The battle raged on for two days before American

forces could completely quiet the contested area of enemy

gunfire. Throughout the 48-hour engagement, Marines with

the team displayed countless acts of valor. Six of those

Marines were recognized for their individual actions that

day during a ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp

Pendleton, Calif., April 9.

Two additional team members involved in the firefight,

Petty Officer 1st Class Jordan Walker and Sgt. Ryan K.

Pass, were unable to attend the ceremony, but are

scheduled to be awarded later this year. Pass will be

awarded the Bronze Star Medal with valor distinguishing

device, and Walker will be awarded the Silver Star Medal.


31

Maj. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, commander, U.S.

Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command,

presented the Navy Cross Medal to Gunnery Sgt. Brian C.

Jacklin, and the Bronze Star Medal with valor

distinguishing devices to Staff Sgt. Christopher W.

Buckminster, Sgt. William P. Hall, Sgt. David E. Harris,

Staff Sgt. Hafeez B. Hussein, and Gunnery Sgt. William C.

Simpson.

“What we’re really picking up on today is the gallantry

and valor of these six Marines in combat operations in

Afghanistan,” said Osterman. “I think it’s only appropriate

to do all these awards together because it was all for the

same action. It was all for the same teamwork. That

cohesion, that competence, that bravery and

professionalism really epitomized what that team concept is

all about.”

Each individual played an integral role in not only

eliminating the enemy threat, but also in administering life-

saving medical care to the casualties or helping evacuate

them from the kill zone under heavy enemy fire.

Immediately following the initial volleys of enemy

gunfire that wounded the two Marines positioned on the

exposed rooftop, Jacklin orchestrated a counterattack and

casualty evacuation.

As Buckminster repeatedly exposed himself to the

onslaught of enemy fire to verify enemy targets and mark

their positions, Jacklin radioed a neighboring supporting

unit to coordinate direct, indirect and aviation weapons

fires and prepared to lead his team across a field to secure a

landing zone for medical evacuation.

“When surrounded on all sides by seven to eight times

our numbers, we faced what seemed the inevitability of

death as we attempted the day-time (casualty evacuation) of

our grievously wounded,” Jacklin said during the ceremony.

Recounting the firefight, Jacklin said he asked his

teammates, “Does anybody have a problem with risking it

to take these guys out of here? Because if we don’t, they

are going to die here.”

His team’s resounding response was, “I’m in. Let’s do

it,” Jacklin said.

Pass was the first Marine to reach the casualties, and as

Jacklin established communication, Pass scaled a ladder to

the rooftop. He provided the Marines with initial casualty

care and, with enemy fire encircling his position, began

engaging the enemy with M249 Squad Automatic Weapon

fire while moving the casualties closer to the ladder.

Buckminster, Hussein and Simpson had made it

through the gunfire-saturated open field in time to lower

Marines from the roof. They continued to treat the

casualties’ wounds until Walker arrived to more thoroughly

tend to the Marines’ injuries.

Walker, the team’s special amphibious reconnaissance

corpsman, quickly stabilized the wounded, mending their

most serious injuries to ensure the Marines would survive

transportation to a hospital.

Meanwhile, combatants closed within 100 meters of the

Marines’ position. Harris developed and employed a plan

for effective air support to destroy enemy targets and clear

out the landing zone he had identified for the evacuation

site.

Buckminster, Hussein and Pass, led by Simpson,

carried the casualties through an open field and relentless

enemy fire to the landing zone for evacuation. Upon

arriving at the landing zone void of cover and concealment,

Walker acted as a human shield, positioning himself

between the casualties and the incoming enemy fire, as to

personally absorb any accurate fire.

As the helicopters approached to extract the wounded

Marines, Hall, who had coordinated an Afghan Local Police

element to repel enemy advancement, had repositioned the

police around the landing zone to establish an outer security

perimeter. Directing the Afghans, Hall diminished the

enemy assault, allowing the evacuating aviation assets to

land.

The firefight continued into the night, and when a

larger special operations unit arrived to relieve the MSOT,

both Jacklin and Harris volunteered to stay and assist.

Harris continued to identify and destroy targets as they

appeared, as well as coordinate casualty evacuations.

As for Jacklin’s continued participation, his Navy Cross

award citation reads: “throughout a raging battle all the

next day, he provided vital intelligence, tactical assistance,

and deadly accurate personal fires. Throughout 48 hours, he

inspired all around him as he led a vicious fight to defeat a

determined enemy force.”

Jacklin praised the men who stood in recognition with

him and their extraordinary manner of conduct on that day

in the valley, explaining it is the proudest moment of his

military career to have witnessed their battlefield

performances.

“Not a man before you here today skipped a beat in

their commitment to seeing their injured brothers home,”

Jacklin said at the ceremony. “All or nothing. Death or

glory. These men before you charged out into the heaviest

barrage of fire I’ve seen in over 10 years of heavy combat

to get the job done.”


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Participants of the MARSOC Mud,Sweat and Tears Run make their waythrough one of the larger mud-filledtrenches featured in the mud runcourse on Stone Bay, Marine CorpsBase Camp Lejeune, N.C., April 25.


33

Story and photos by Marine Corps Cpl. Steven FoxMARSOC Public Affairs

Service members, along with their families and local

community members gathered on Stone Bay, Marine Corps

Base Camp Lejeune – home to U.S. Marine Corps Forces,

Special Operations Command (MARSOC) – for the unit’s

annual Mud, Sweat and Tears Run, April 25.

The MARSOC-sponsored Marine Corps Community

Services event challenged runners with a 10K movement

through obstacle-rich terrain comprised of swamps, creeks,

fallen trees and plenty of mud – chest-high pits filled with

it and steep slopes soaked in it.

The run attracted roughly 1,700 people, military and

civilian – young and old, and MARSOC capitalized on the

opportunity to strengthen bonds with the local military and

civilian community. Many of the course obstacles, by

purpose of design, required a collaborative effort, allowing

Marines and Sailors with the unit to foster relationships

with visiting parties.

Among the participants was the MARSOC

commander, Maj. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, and MARSOC

sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. John W. Scott.

“This event ties MARSOC directly in with our local

community,” said Osterman. “We are pleased to host this

event, as it also provides the local community an

opportunity to rub elbows with our Marines and Sailors,

while building awareness for MARSOC and who we are

and what we do as the Marine Corps’ component of U.S.

Special Operations Command.”

Before the mud run’s commencement, MARSOC

recruiters held the MARSOC Strength Challenge, in which

active-duty military members competed in a battery of

different challenges featuring pull-ups, kettle-bell carries, a

sled push and sled pull.

“A lot of time, thought and effort went into developing

the strength challenge to make sure it’s molded around the

basic physical attributes you need as a MARSOC

operator,” said one of the MARSOC recruiters. “This also

allows us to see who the performers are, because the

people who come out for the MARSOC Strength Challenge

generally aren’t your half-steppers, or your 80-percent

guys; we’re looking for the 100-percent guys.”

Any parties interested in joining MARSOC, or simply

curious about the command, were able to stop by the

recruiting tents to get their questions answered by tending

critical skills operators.

The challenges wrapped up in the early afternoon, but

many of the participants stuck around to cap the day’s

festivities off at the MARSOC-sponsored cookout to eat,

drink, and socialize before the awards ceremony.

Osterman and Scott presented various awards, ranging

from 1st, 2nd and 3rd place medals, to plaques, checks and

ornamental wooden paddles, to all victorious event

participants.

The Lady Raiders, a team consisting of four MARSOC

Marines and one civilian, placed first among females in

MARSOC’s race.

“We really enjoy the aspect of competition, but it’s

more about the teamwork and camaraderie for us,” said

Lady Raider team member, Capt. Christie Everett. “Some

of us got individual awards, too, but it was more important

to us that we performed well as a team than performing

well individually.”

Also during the event, the MARSOC Sexual Assault

Response Coordinator, Cathy Johnson, set up a booth in

recognition of April being Sexual Assault Awareness

Month. Johnson and several volunteers offered information

about sexual assault prevention to all participants.

Running with Mud, Sweat and Tears

Participants of the MARSOC Mud, Sweat and Tears Run wadethrough a trench, April 25, at Stone Bay, on Marine CorpsBase Camp Lejeune, N.C.


34

Healing Afghanistan: A Soldier’s Story Story and Photos by Tech Sgt. Angelita LawrenceUSSOCOM Public Affairs

More than 10,000 miles away from home, four Afghan

National Army wounded soldiers sit with their sergeant

major and some American men and women in the heart

land of America for a weeklong seminar, March 31- April

3, 2015, to learn skills that will better enable them to take

care of their Afghan brothers wounded in combat.

A few hours northeast of San Antonio lies ‘Eagle’s

Summit Ranch,’ a 250-acre property owned by the Roever

Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on

supporting the U.S. military, providing assistance to

wounded warriors, hosting educational workshops, and

providing public speaking opportunities for veterans.

This week, Dave Roever, President and Founder of

Operation Warrior RECONnect, along with his staff,

provide techniques to help build self-esteem among the

warriors through mentoring, team-building, and therapeutic

activities. The special operations commandos also receive

educational opportunities and tools for overcoming and

coping with new physical and mental injuries.

Unlike the U.S., Afghanistan does not have benevolent

care centers for their veterans. When injured in combat,

Afghan soldiers receive a one-time pension, are forced to

retire, and often left to fend for themselves. The goal of

Afghan National Army Command Sgt. Maj. Faiz

Mohammad Wafa, the top enlisted leader of Afghanistan’s

National Army Special Operations Command, is to change

that.

Dave Roever, Founder and President of Operation Reconnect, shares a personal story of his own to the five wounded Afghansoldiers during a week-long rehabilitation retreat at Eagle Summit Ranch in Junction, Texas, April 2. Roever is setting thefoundation for these wounded Afghan soldiers to develop and create their own Wounded Warrior Program in Afghanistan.


35

Wafa is determined to start an organization similar to

U.S. Special Operations Command’s Care Coalition, where

wounded soldiers and their families receive the support

they need from their nation, their community, their service,

and their family and friends. Wafa and his four

commandos, with the help of the Roever Foundation, will

form the groundwork of a new wounded warrior program

in Afghanistan.

Wafa said having a program to support the country’s

wounded warriors is critical to the ANA’s continued

success.

“Without the wounded warrior program, we can’t train

more heroes,” he said. “Our army is volunteers; if they

don’t see support, they would leave.”

Roever, a Vietnam wounded warrior himself, knows

the challenges these men face all too well, and said despite

language barriers and some cultural differences, there are

many similarities between the commandos and U.S.

Soldiers.

“I look at them as bonafide heroes who have gone way

above and beyond,” said Roever, who is more than willing

to help turn Wafa’s dream into a reality.

One of the first lessons at the ranch is teaching and

encouraging the commandos to share their stories with

others.

Roever said being able to talk about their injuries is

part of the healing process for these men.

“They are the faces of Afghanistan’s wounded

warriors,” he said.

Afghan National Army SGT Safi Mirwais knew from a

young age he wanted to help his country by fighting for

Afghanistan’s freedom from the Taliban. That desire led

him to join ANASOC. Now, years later, Mirwais sits with

his brothers and new American friends and shares his story

for the first time.

“When I took a step I didn’t know there was something

there, it seemed like a bomb went off and a small ditch was

formed,” said Mirwais. “I was screaming for help and an

American Soldier jumped on me, held me and carried me

to the helicopter,” he continued.

Three months into his assignment with the special

operations kandak in Kandahar, Mirwais stepped on an

improvised explosive device while clearing buildings on a

joint U.S.-Afghan patrol. As a result, he lost his right leg

below the knee.

“I am a patriot. I don’t care that I lost my leg or if I

lose my other leg; my job is to fight for Afghanistan’s

freedom,” he professed.

After his experience at the ranch, Mirwais said he no

longer feels alone and no longer feels like his life is ruined.

Afghan National Army Sgt. Safi Mirwais wipes his eyes whilelistening to a wounded Afghan soldiers’ story April 3, duringa weeklong seminar at the Eagle Summit Ranch in Junction,Texas. The weeklong seminar was designed to learn skillsthat will better enable Afghan soldiers to take care of theirAfghan brothers wounded in combat.

Afghan National Army Sgt. Safi Mirwais skeet shoots sittingdown April 1, during a weeklong seminar at the Eagle SummitRanch in Junction, Texas. The weeklong seminar wasdesigned to learn skills that will better enable Afghan soldiersto take care of their Afghan brothers wounded in combat.


36

USSOCOM recognizes newestCommando Hall of Honor inductees

The U.S. Special Operations Command’s 2015 Commando Hall of Honor inductees or their representatives stand with ArmyGen. Joseph L. Votel, (far right) commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, and USSOCOM Command Sgt. Maj. WilliamThetford, (far left) after being inducted into USSOCOM’s Hall of Honor, April 6, at the headquarters, MacDill Air Force Base Fla.The command and special operations community gathered to honor nine individuals whose service spanned 70 years fromWorld War II to Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo by Mike Bottoms.

By USSOCOM Public Affairs

The U.S. Special Operations Command inducted

nine former special operators into the USSOCOM

Commando Hall of Honor located at the USSOCOM

headquarters here, April 6, 2015.

More than 120 people attended the ceremony to

honor the inductees and watched as each of the former

special operators or their surviving family member

received a medal presented by Army Gen. Joseph L.

Votel, USSOCOM commander, and Command Sgt.

Maj. William F. Thetford, USSOCOM Command

Senior Enlisted Adviser.

“These men embody the skills, value, spirit and

courage of the special operations warrior,” said Votel.

“Today is about honoring these men and their sacrifice

to the nation they love, to honor their sacrifice, and to

honor their families who stood by their side.”

Maj. Gen. James L. Hobson, Jr., distinguishedhimself during a lifetime of service to theUnited States and Special Operations Forces.Hobson’s contributions to Special Operationsaviation, Air Commandos and their uniquebrand of airpower, are inscribed throughoutthe history of Air Force Special Operations.His career in Special Operations culminated

his selection and final assignment as Commander, Air ForceSpecial Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

1st Lt. Jack L. Knight distinguished himself“above and beyond the call of duty” on Feb.2, 1945 near Loi-Knag, Burma. Knight led atroop attack against entrenched Japanesepositions dominating the hills overlooking theBurma Road. Single-handedly attacking keydug-in enemy positions, disregard for his ownlife, and concern for the safety of his men,

earned him the Medal of Honor posthumously. Knight wasthe only Soldier serving in an Army Special Operations unitto receive the Medal of Honor during World War II.


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Col. James H. Kyle distinguished himselfduring a lifetime of service to the UnitedStates and Air Force Special OperationsCommand in a myriad of worldwide. Kyle’sdedication and herculean efforts supportingSpecial Operations Forces encompass morethan 30 years of training, educating, andleading an elite group of commandos from

training exercises to combat operations. His leadershipwas pivotal in the United States’ response to the hijacking ofthe United States merchant ship SS Mayaquez, continuingwith planning Operations Eagle Claw, and commanding theAir Force element of Desert One.

Command Sgt. Maj. Richard C. Lamb was thefirst noncommissioned officer selected to“cross-walk” between the Special Forces andthe Ranger Infantry, setting the leadershipstandard for a generation of SpecialOperators. Wounded in combat and twicedecorated for valor and gallantry in action, hiscontributions to the Nation are unparalleled.In Korea, he received the Silver Star and

Combat Infantryman’s Badge for leading a quick reactionforce into the Demilitarized Zone to expel a North Koreanincursion. In Panama, he led a Ranger Rifle Company as anoncommissioned officer - a feat not accomplished since theVietnam era - on an operation that captured 188 hostileprisoners, led to the surrender of an entire military zone, andearned him a Bronze Star. In Somalia, he was part of thebrutal 12-hour street fight that became known as the Battleof Mogadishu, suffering life-threatening wounds and earninga Purple Heart and a Joint Service Commendation Medalwith Valor for his part in rescuing portions of Task ForceRanger.

Lt. Col. Terrence L. Moore distinguishedhimself in service to his country, the MarineCorps, and his fellow Special OperationsWarriors across three decades of service. Asa young enlisted Reconnaissance Marine, heparticipated in innumerable reconnaissancepatrols and direct-action raids against VietCong and North Vietnamese Forces from

1961-1963. Drawing upon a vast reservoir of professionalmilitary knowledge honed in extensive combat, then,Gunnery Sgt. Moore developed a comprehensive trainingprogram for Reconnaissance Marine candidates, whilesimultaneously leading a Special Operations team for the 1stReconnaissance Battalion in the Republic of Vietnam in1970. Due to his outstanding combat leadership during thistour, Gunnery Sgt. Moore was commissioned a secondlieutenant on the field of battle.

Col. John W. Ripley served in a variety ofInfantry positions, both afloat and ashore, andattended the U.S. Army’s Airborne School.He commanded with distinction a RifleCompany in combat, with his unit earning themoniker ‘’Ripley’s Raiders.’’ He left his firstVietnam tour with a Silver Star, Bronze Starwith V device, and Purple Heart. Returning toVietnam in 1972, Ripley demonstrated

exceptional bravery when he emplaced and wired explosives

to destroy the strategic bridge of Dong Ha to halt a largeNVA armored penetration of South Vietnam troops. Severaltimes, with heavy loads of explosives and detonation cordhanging from his body, he hand-walked under the bridge byclinging to its I-beams, dangling some thirty feet abovewater as the enemy constantly fired upon him. Awarded theNavy Cross for his actions, Ripley’s successful destructionof the Dong Ha Bridge delayed the downfall of SouthVietnam for three years.

Col. Phillip R. Stewart distinguished himselfduring a 42-year career as both acommissioned Intelligence Officer and as adedicated Special Operations Forces civilservant, culminating as Assistant Director forIntelligence, Naval Special WarfareDevelopment Group. During multiple tours ofduty attached, and in command of, sensitive

national mission forces, Stewart influenced, planned, andexecuted multiple, successful intelligence operations againstsome of the Nation’s most dangerous threats in dynamicoperating environments. Stewart’s commitment to thedevelopment of personnel and organizations, as well as newintelligence tactics, techniques, and procedures, had a directand measurable impact on the agility, flexibility and lethalityof Special Operations Forces on the battlefield over adecade of sustained combat.

Col. Lynn B. Stull distinguished himselfthrough a lifetime of service to the UnitedStates and Special Operations Forces in amyriad of assignments, culminating as theDefense Threat Reduction Agency LiaisonOfficer to Headquarters, United States SpecialOperations Command, MacDill Air ForceBase, Fla., from June 1968 to February 2014.Stull’s dedication and support to the Special

Operations community spans more than 40 years, fromadvising foreign forces in combat operations to serving as aForeign Area Officer and Defense Attaché, through histenure as a defense contractor and liaison officer. Hispersonal efforts, drive, and determination forged long-standing Special Operations Forces and CounteringWeapons of Mass of Destruction community relationships,which today continue to support the Special OperationsForces community with technical expertise and specializedtraining programs.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Paul A. Ziesmandistinguished himself during a lifetime ofservice to the United States and SpecialOperations Forces culminating as aDepartment of Defense civilian serving as theDeputy Director Command, Control,Communications, Computers, and Intelligencesystems, Joint Special Operations Command,Fort Bragg, N.C. He was a pioneer in

developing special mission unit communications operationsand capabilities. Zeisman modified and developedinnovative communications capabilities for combatoperations, operations other than war, and classifiedassignments around the world including the first securemanpack satellite radio and what is now called Blue ForceTracking.


38

SOCNORTH hosts multi-national North American symposiumStory and photo by F.B. ZimmermanJSOU University

More than 120 people from three countries recently

gathered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs,

Colo., to discuss how their countries can work together to

address an issue each country deals with – transnational

organized crime.

The two-day “SOF Role in Combating Transnational

Organized Crime” symposium was held April 8-9 and hosted

by Special Operations Command North and facilitated by

Joint Special Operations University and Canadian Special

Operations Forces Command. This is the fifth symposium

JSOU and CANSOFCOM collaborated on, but the first with

representatives from Mexico in attendance – from the

National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA), the Navy

Secretariat (SEMAR) and the Federal Police.

Rear Adm. Kerry Metz, commander of SOCNORTH,

opened the symposium and remarked on how the countries

need to work with one another, especially in training, so the

trust is there when it’s needed.

“Hopefully over the next two days what we will come

up with is, ‘is there or isn’t there’ [a SOF role in combating

transnational organized crime], and then we’ll get into the

debate of what we can do versus what we should do,” Metz

said. “Collectively as North Americans, we see a shared

security bubble … a threat to one is a threat to all. It’s

important to understand that it’s a shared problem that’s

going to need a shared solution.”

Over those two days, three “keynote addresses” were

given: “Threats and Challenges,” by Mark Hanna, the deputy

National Intelligence Officer for Transnational

Threats/Narcotics; “SOF and the New Borderless World,” by

Brig. Gen. Mike Rouleau, CANSOFCOM commander; and

“Fighting the Transnational Organized Crime Threat as a

North American Coalition,” by Konrad Trautman, National

Intelligence University and Defense Intelligence University

Chair to U.S. Special Operations Command. There were

also four panel discussions held—Transnational Organized

Crime in Regional Contexts: What is Being Done and by

Whom; What is the Transnational Organized Crime Gap and

How Can SOF Fill It; Borders and Security: Balancing

Security and Interdependence; and Foreign Fighters: Who’s

Problem is it Anyway? Each panel had a moderator and up

to four individuals from the various countries with

experience and knowledge on the topics being discussed.

“Events like this are important … because it’s another

opportunity to share, to collaborate, to contribute,” Rouleau

said. It’s not just around the issues, it goes to the

relationships – there are a lot of people I know here I’m

strengthening my relationship with, but there are other

people I’ve never met before who I think just expand our

network.”

Though this was the first year the Mexican delegation

took part in the symposium, Col. Francisco Javier Martinez

Pereyda, representing SEDENA, said Mexico has been

benefiting from support from allies.

“In terms of building capability, to keep going forward,

building relationships between the three countries, it’s good

because the development of the special forces in Mexico has

been doing well because of all the support we have been

receiving,” Pereyda said.

While Rouleau felt the most important thing to take

away from the symposium was building trust and

cooperation in combating transnational organized crime,

there was also another valuable take-away.

“The second thing I want to get out of [the symposium]

is further informing how we can continue doing this sort of

thing – this is an annual symposium – and how we can do it

even better the next time around so we’re always building on

that success,” Rouleau said.

More than 120 people from Canada, Mexico and United Statesattended the SOF Role in Combating Transnational OrganizedCrime symposium April 8-9 in Colorado Springs, Co.

Editor’s note: Honored are Special Operations Forceswho lost their lives since April’s Tip of the Spear.


39

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tip of the spear - sofx · tip of the spear 2 tech. sgt. angelita lawrence staff...

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